But they will find out their
mistake in the end. William has promised to divide England among his needy
adventurers if he wins, and Edwin and Morcar will very speedily find that
they will not, in that case, be allowed to keep half the country as their
share."
It was a great host that was gathered ready for the march south. Gurth had
brought down the fighting men of East Anglia; the thanes of the West were
there with their tenants; the Bishop of Winchester, Harold's uncle, not
only brought the tenants of the church lands, but he himself with twelve of
his monks had put on armour under their monkish robes. The Abbot of
Peterborough headed a contingent from the Fen Country; the men of London
under the sheriff of the Mid Saxons were there, and prepared to die in
defence of the royal standard, which it was the special privilege of London
to guard. In the Abbey of Westminster, where Harold had received his
crown, and in every church of London, mass was celebrated day and night,
and was attended by crowds of troops and citizens.
Harold himself snatched a day from the cares of preparation to visit
Waltham, the abbey that he had founded, and in which he had taken so lively
an interest, and there earnestly prayed for victory, with the vow that did
he conquer in the strife he would regard himself as God's ransomed servant,
and would throughout his life specially devote himself to His service. A
day or two after Wulf's arrival in London a messenger came from William of
Normandy calling upon Harold to come down from his throne, and to become,
as he had sworn to be, the duke's man.
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